Distributors claim of becoming number one in replacement lamp market is disputed

Distributor Midwich has claimed it has become the biggest seller in one of the audiovisual market’s most lucrative niches, the replacement projection lamp market, by sourcing products only from British outlets.

However, its assertion was immediately disputed by rivals. Based on vendor feedback, the Norfolk based distributor claims its brand of replacement lamps for projectors ­ Which Lamps ­ has overtaken rivals Hot Lamps and Just Lamps to become the biggest seller by volume in the UK.

Since these projector replacements can cost between £150 and £250, and have a maximum life of 18 months, this can be lucrative business, enthused Stuart Mizon, business manager at Midwich.

However, Jon Sidwick, managing director of Hot Lamps’ parent Maverick, disputed Midwich’s claims: “Midwich carries nine brands and Hot Lamps covers 85. We have almost double the stockholding of Midwich.”

Midwich has achieved this rapid growth, Mizon argued, through the integrity of its product sourcing. “We do not touch grey imports. Other distributors might source from overseas, but we would warn people that those cheap imports are a false economy. It leaves the reseller open to all kinds of hassle if there are problems.”

This view was backed by manufacturers, that say warranties on their products will not be honoured if their own brand replacement lamps are not used.

“Customers operating Sanyo projectors should beware,” said David Brookes, operations and technical services director at Sanyo Europe. “Using non-Sanyo spare parts and lamps in a Sanyo projector will invalidate the warranty.”